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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · cabinet · band · bat · bore · patient · rock · coach

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. board — a committee
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bat — the animal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rock — music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rock — a stone
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. band — a music group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com